Forty-three photos while standing and spinning in the center of Plaza de la Catedral in Havana stitched to make a ‘little planet.’ The square is gorgeous, built in the mid-1700s. We visited it early one morning, stopped for coffee and took in the architecture. To answer a reoccurring question, I have booked my next photo show, ‘Island to Island, Iceland & Cuba’. It will be held at Thayer House in Medway on February 28th, 6-9pm. More information is coming soon; ticket sales will benefit a yet to be named charity to support Cancer patients, I hope you can join me — photos from both Islands on display and for sale.

Last night I watched Conan O’Brien’s Cuba episode on Netflix, look for Conan without Borders, it was great. I recognized so many of the locations, one in particular, was the La Guarida Restaurant in Havana. We stopped there and spent hours photographing the architecture, the linens hanging to dry in a room I would kill for… (seriously this would be the most incredible studio, or place to live, work, or just own, put a chair and sit in) they hang their linens out to air dry in the space. We had an incredible lunch in the restaurant, photos of celebrities were all over the walls, I even took a picture of the Conan one, only to watch his visit a month later. Conan and I also made it to the roof to overlook the city. I am sure Conan was invited, I kind of just went up a ton of stairs and pretended I knew where I was going. The view is breathtaking. Other famous faces that have visited were Madonna, Beyonce, Jay Z, Bon Jovi, the funny thing was if this was in here in America I remember thinking I would have rolled my eyes that all these celebrities had been there, but turns out they just have excellent taste, because it was one of my favorite spots in Cuba.

Back to Cuba for a post, I still have not gone through all of them, and I enjoy discovering what I have as I try to get them all processed. This afternoon I found myself with some time and looked at the dance photos. Our last night in Havana our group headed back to the entrance of Havana Bay where we had been at sunrise a few days before. This time it was sunset, and we would be joined by two young ballerinas who would pose for us to photograph. I love taking dance photos, 15 years of practice with my daughter and Medway Dance Authority has made it, so I actually know what great dance looks like, and these two young ladies were incredible. Not only in talent but the poise and ability to tolerate 12 cameras pointed at them while onlookers stared and mingled in one of the most visited spots in Havana. Fisherman, families, tourists, the place was packed with people, and these two danced as if no one was around. So grateful for their grace set upon a striking backdrop of Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro built in the 16th century one way, and in the other direction the sun setting over the Malecon. Thanks to my friends Eli and Jordan at Your Cuba Travel, and Don and Laura with Hunt Photo Adventures for setting opportunities like this up for us while we were on the trip. It is stuff like this that makes a trip unique and unforgettable.

Allow me to go too deep and personal for a few. 2018 has been a year like no other. I enjoy all the years, I have said it in this space before the alternative is not getting the year, so I choose they are all good no matter how the days are spent as long as I can spend them. This year started with me realizing that more than ever. I am at that age where you are not as old as you think, yet you are not as young as you may feel. The reality of the program we are all signed up for seeps in, louder with each passing year. In January I was sick, specifics are not important, but sick enough to need to see a doctor, and sick enough to avoid one at the same time, know what I mean? After the avoidance tactics and excuses ran out, I went to the doctor. Monday, January 22nd. That led to an MRI on Tuesday the 23rd, that led to a 6:45 am phone call on Wednesday the 24th that no one ever wants, “We need to you go see so and so, there is a strong chance you have cancer.” Now spoiler alert, I do not have, nor did I at time of that call, have cancer.

It would be 7 days until I knew that. Tuesday, January 30th, as I rested on a gurney waking up from a procedure there was a doctor in my face with two thumbs up saying “You are good” is the bookend to that phone call. The week I ‘had’ cancer. What does this have to do with a photo of a sunrise in Cuba? Well as I took that photo, sitting on the far side of a beach in the dark, overlooking the Cuba shoreline with 12 other strangers I just met 72 hours prior, I thought of how I got there? I snapped 13 photos of that sunrise from that location, camera on a tripod three feet back from a cliff that blocked my view of the waves. In 12 of the photos, there is no visible water splashing. Frame #7 there is. It is the photo above, the waves hit the rocks, sprayed it up above the cliff, the water curling around the sunrise, all at the same time I pushed the plunger on the cable to release the shutter. I would love to say it was planned, it was not, I mean I set up, pointed the camera, knew the setting that was needed, the exposure, etc. but I had not known what I got until after. I could sit at that spot for the remainder of my life and never get that shot again, so it got me thinking about how I got there, to begin with. A root cause analysis of the opportunity and it was directly related to that phone call, those seven days and the two thumbs up.

Since that call and thumbs up, I have lost people to cancer, I have had friends unfairly lose loved ones to cancer, I have had friends bravely fight cancer, it seems to be everywhere, and I only had to deal with it for 7 days. The least I could do is go to Cuba. I like to think I am here to document and share things. My tagline for my business is Hold Life Still, I love those three words, it sums up my objective perfectly. That’s what this sunrise photo is, it Life being Held Still. Without those 7 days in January I am not sitting on that beach getting this photo. Or meeting those 12 strangers who I was able to spend 10 incredible days with, or meeting the country of Cuba.

This is why Cuba, a question I have been asked 100x since I said I was going. Why go anywhere? Because you can. Because there are those who can not. Those 7 days changed me, I am lucky it was only 7 days, I am lucky to have had those 7 days. I am even luckier they led me to Cuba

I have this whole blog in my head about Cuba, specifically ‘why Cuba?’ I have been asked that a lot, and there are multiple factors, but I sit to write it and I get disturbed, distracted or maybe it is not ready to come out yet. So in the meantime, I have started to unpack the photos. Tonight I share some of the people I encountered. These are only a handful of them. Cuba is people, I posted about this today elsewhere, I have the same feeling I had as I processed the Iceland trip. These are special to me, the journey itself is more important than the photos, yet the photos are precious. There is a distinct difference from the two trips, with Iceland the land was the subject, beauty as far as you could see, a beauty like no other. With Cuba, the people are the subject. It is an island of people, incredible, strong, kind people, and I can see the change in the approach to my photos I took in Cuba as I go through them. The early images I am trying to capture the scenes, the buildings, the cars, then there is a quick evolution, as I discover the people make up the island regardless of the scenes. I still photographed the other stuff, but my portrait lens was on my camera more than off, and I looked forward to strolling around the streets looking for subjects to talk with. We would see people, sitting walking, standing, they tend to notice people with cameras, a quick “Hola”, raise the camera “Foto?” Eight out of ten times you would get a smile or a shy grin and permission, I would take it and then show them. They would light up, “gracias”. Sweet is a word that comes to mind, they have a sweetness that is genuine. At the same time a toughness that shows in their faces. They are the country, no matter the politics, the elements that make the place up, it is the people who give the island a strength. They are so proud to share what they have done to get by. Invites to see where they live, what they make, who they are. I am better for having met them. I learned from them then I had to give. I am grateful to have these ‘fotos’. Tomorrow I will try to share why Cuba, also, I have been asked a few times, will there be a show of these. I am not sure, the Iceland show was a great thing and a huge success, but a lot of work. I would love to hear if there is an interest in a Cuba show, perhaps after the holidays.